Trousers pressing device



May 14, 1963 c. T. SKANSE TROUSERS PRESSING DEVICE Filed May 51, 1962 INVENTOR. C'ar/ Theodore Slfanse '0 IIIIIIIII/ IIIIIIII 4 4 ti 1,111,111,

United States Patent Ofi ice 3,089,265 Patented May 14, 1963 Filed May 31, 1962, Ser. No. 198,901 3 Claims. (Cl. 38-69) My invention relates generally to a trousers pressing device that will crease or re-crease a pair of trousers while they are suspended or hung by their cuffs.

It is an object of my invention to provide a trousers presser to press any portion of a crease that may become bagged as by wear.

It is a further object of my invention to use my invention on a pair of trousers as they are hung by a conventional cuff hanger.

It is another object of my inventon to provide a trousers presser that will be portable to be extremely useful by travelers.

It is another object of my invention to provide an extremely light-weight trousers presser that will be self-sup porting when placed on a pair of trousers and will allow the trousers to hang normally.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a trousers presser that will be easily placed and easily removed from any portion of a crease on a pair of trousers.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows my trousers presser as it may be placed on a pair of trousers as they are hung by their culfs;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of my invention with a separating member in position;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 showing my pressing device in a closed position;

FIG. 5 is a view generally similar to FIG. 4 but showing the arms of the pressing device spread apart by operation of the separating member; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an alternative form of my invention showing a double unit trousers pressing device.

In my invention, I provide a generally bifurcated section P of substantially resilient material and a separating member referred to generally herein by the letter R. The bifurcated section is generally symmetric about an axis passing between the arms of the bifurcated section and has substantial length as to cover a sufiicient portion of the trousers to be pressed. The arms 11 and 12 of said section extend from a generally arcuate junction section 15, said junction being arcuate to produce durable clamp ing force for said arms. The outer free ends 11a and 12a of said arms 11 and 12 respectively are flared outwardly from each other to facilitate insertion of a trousers leg therebetween.

In the form of the invention illustrated, opposed portions of the bifurcated section P are shaped to form an opening 13 extending the full length thereof and having a generally oval cross-sectional shape as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This longitudinal opening 13 is of such a size as to receive the separating member R therewithin, the cross-sectional shape of said member R also being oval so that when said member is rotated on its longitudinal axis, the longer axis thereof will be disposed to substantially coincide with the shorter axis of the ovalshaped opening to spread the arms, as shown in FIG. 5. In order to maintain the member R within the opening 13, a neck 13a is formed between the arcuate portion 15 of the closed end of the bifurcated section P and said opening 13, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The bifurcated arms 11 and 12 each have opposed fiat portions 14 interposed between their free ends 11a and 12a and the opening 13. Said flat portions are normally held in engagement by the resilient force produced on the arms by the closed end 15 of the bifurcated section. Suitable means for rotating the rod R are provided such as the ring 17 mounted on one end thereof, and means for limiting the axial movement of the separating member R into the opening are provided such as the shoulder or washer 16.

In the operation of my invention, a pair of trousers is hung by their cuffs with a conventional hanger. The separating rod R is inserted into the oval opening 13 of the presser P and is rotated so as to spread the ends 11a and 12a of said bifurcated section P apart, as shown in FIG. 5. My invention is then placed over the bagged or uncreased portion of said trousers edge to place said edge within the flat pressing section 14. The separating rod R is then re-rotated into a position that will allow the arms 11 and 12 to close and hold the trousers therewithin. The separating rod R may then be removed from said oval opening 13. The natural spring tension of my 1 device as produced by the closed end 15 will hold the arms 11 and 12 in closely spaced adjacent relation and will form a crease in the trousers.

As an alternative to this invention, I provide a double trousers presser consisting of a pair of bifurcated portions having one common arm 22 and side elements 21 normally adjacent said common arm, as best shown in FIG. 6. An oval separating rod opening 13 is provided a a separator housing as in the preferred form of my invention. A separating rod R similar to that described above is provided to fit into said opening 13 and spread the side elements 21 from the common arm 22. The operation of this alternative form of the invention is generally similar to that described above. The legs of the trousers are inserted between the respective bifurcated arm portions, one at a time, and the entire unit clamped onto the trousers legs to be pressed.

An important feature of this invention is that it is supported solely by the frictional clamping engagement of the arms against the portion of the leg of the trousers disposed therebetween. The entire device can be inexpensively manufactured from a number of different plastic materials such as Styrene but can also be inexpensively manufactured from thin resilient metallic material such as sheet bronze, aluminum or steel but it must be of sufliciently light weight material to permit the clamping force to provide the sole means for holding the same on the leg of the trousers. Many of the plastic materials from which my invention can be produced are of a clear or transparent material such as clear Styrene. This will allow viewing of the trousers being held within the arms so as to ascertain the smoothness and location therewithin. These plastics may further be tinted in assorted colors but still retain their transparency.

It will also be apparent that the length of the device is substantially less than the total length of the leg of the trousers since the part that requires the most frequent pressing is the knee portion of the leg. This also permits construction of a relatively light-weight device.

It may be seen that I have invented a simple, compact and unique trousers pressing device that will be easily manufactured and easily used to crease a pair of trousers, eliminating the usual ironing process.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportion of parts without departing from the scope of my invention, which generally stated consists in the matter set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for pressing trousers comprising a light weight bifurcated member of a length substantially less than the length of the legs of the trousers to be pressed, and adapted to be supported solely thereby, said member having a pair of substantially fiat opposed arms resiliently urged together to define a plane of engagement therebetween to extend over the entire flat portion thereof, the outermost extending portions of said arms diverging substantially the full length thereof to facilitate guiding the section of the trouser leg to be pressed into said engagement plane, the portion of said arms inward of said flat section being shaped to define an opening substantially the full length thereof, said opening having a cross-sectional shape wherein one dimension is substantially longer than the other with the shorter dimension lying in a plane substantially normal to the plane of engagement of said two arms, and a separating member insertable into said opening with means for spreading the two arms apart to facilitate insertion of the section of the leg of the trousers to be pressed, said separating member being'shiftable into releasing position to permit said arms to be resiliently clamped onto the engaged trousers portion to be supported solely thereby and to exert pressing force thereagainst.

2. A device for pressing trousers comprising a light weight bifurcated member of a length substantially less than the length of the legs of the trousers to be pressed, and adapted to be supported solely thereby, said member having a pair of substantially flat opposed arms resiliently urged together to define a plane of engagement therebetween to extend over the entire flat portion thereof, the outermost extending portions of said arms diverging substantially the full length thereof to facilitate guiding the section of the trouser leg to be pressed into said engagement plane, the portion of said arms inward of said fiat section being shaped to define a generally oval opening therebetween extending substantially the entire length thereof, a separating member having a generally oval cross-sectional shape slightly smaller in size than the oval opening formed by said arms as to be slidably receivable therein, a means to rotate said member fixedly attached to one end thereof to facilitate rotation of the separating member to a position in which its longer dimension lies coincident to the smaller dimension of said oval opening for spreading said arms apart to facilitate insertion of the leg of the trousers to be pressed therein, said rotational means to reorient said rod to the position in which its longer dimension lies coincident to the longer dimension of the oval opening so as to facilitate removal of said rod therefrom as to be used with other similar devices and permitting said arms to solely remain resiliently clamped onto the engaged trousers portion to be supported thereby and toexert a pressing force thereagainst.

3. A device for pressing trousers comprising a light weight bifurcated member of a length substantially less than the length of the legs of the trousers to be pressed, and adapted to be supported solely thereby, said member having a pair of substantially fiat opposed arms resiliently urged together to define a plane of engagement therebetween to extend over the entire fiat portion thereof, the outermost extending portions of said arms diverging substantially the full length thereof to facilitate guiding the section of the trouser leg to be pressed into said engagement plane, and camming means cooperating with said arms to forceably urge said arms apart into garment receiving position and further being operable so as to allow said arms to be resiliently urged together to press the inserted garment therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,402,049 Bye-r Jan. 3, 1922 1,470,376 Chambers Oct. 9, 1923 1,473,547 Getgey Nov. 6, 1923 2,065,499 Ballin Dec. 29, 1936 2,238,519 Drake Apr. 15, 1941 2,518,098 Thrush Aug. 8, 1950 2,546,717 Beetlestone et al Mar. 27, 1951 2,635,368 Greb-Lasky Apr. 21, 1953 2,908,431 Campbell Oct. 13, 1959 3,024,548 Mallett Mar. 13, 1962 

1. A DEVICE FOR PRESSING TROUSERS COMPRISNG A LIGHT WEIGHT BIFURCATED MEMBER OF A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE LEGS OF THE TROUSERS TO BE PRESSED, AND ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED SOLELY THEREBY, SAID MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT OPPOSED ARMS RESILIENTLY URGED TOGETHER TO DEFINE A PLANE OF ENGAGEMENT THEREBETWEEN TO EXTEND OVER THE ENTIRE FLAT PORTION THEREOF, THE OUTERMOST EXTENDING PORTONS OF SAID ARMS DIVERGING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH THEREOF TO FACILITATE GUIDING THE SECTION OF THE TROUSE LEG TO BE PRESSED INTO SAID ENGAGEMENT PLANE, THE PORTION OF SAID ARMS INWARD OF SAID FLAT SECTION BEING SHAPED TO DEFINE AN OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH THEREOF, SAID OPENING HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE WHEREIN ONE DIMENSION IS SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER THAN THE OTHER WITH THE SHORTER DIMENSION LYING IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF ENGAGEMENT OF SAID TWO ARMS, AND A SEPARATING MEMBER INSERTABLE INTO SAID OPENING WITH MEANS FOR SPREADING THE TWO ARMS APART TO FACILITATE INSERTION OF THE SECTION OF THE LEG OF THE TROUSERS TO BE PRESSED, SAID SEPARATING MEMBER BEING SHIFTABLE INTO RELEASING POSITION TO PERMIT SAID ARMS TO BE RESILIENTLY CLAMPED ONTO THE ENGAGED TROUSERS PORTION TO BE SUPPORTED SOLELY THEREBY AND TO EXERT PRESSING FORCE THEREAGAINST. 